There was a silent but friendly boy who sat alone in the classroom, writing his thoughts down on paper in form of poetry. The small smile on his face and the nimble fingers that moved with such a great efficiency marked the kindness he had to offer.

He paused, judging the work he had created in the near past. Lines of words mixed with emotion and foreshadowing. 

He felt the gazes of the fellow classmates in the room. They stared at him, trying to figure out what made him tick. What made him to be the person he was. What made him to be so sacrificing.

The boy was somewhat well known in his classes. Not for the words he scribbled on papers occasionally but for the words that escaped his voice box and found it's way to the sound waves we are accustomed to hearing.

Questions and questions. That's all they asked. It was never about him. They never asked about him, his favorite color, the food he liked, the activities he enjoyed; nothing. Instead, they asked about themselves. 

Questions like "What should I do?" or "Why am I like this?" or even, "Why is my life so bad?" were questions the boy heard almost everyday. 

And those questions needed answers.

So, the boy provided them.

He was glad to help. He loved when others were happy, even at the expense of himself. He didn't care. All he wanted was peace, in a way. He sought out the weak and simply told them the truth. The truth that everyone seemed to forget but was so normal to hear.

Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. The boy found himself answering the questions for the benefit of others. 

He wasn't hated, oh no, he was treated kindly. His family was nice, polite and supporting. His friends were amazing, people who he never thought would stick by his side.

But, still, there was something missing.

He was happy, yes. He was helping people.

He was happy, no? He was helping people.

He wasn't helping himself.

- - -

With careful eyes, the boy's pupils followed the girl that had entered his class. She was new, entering the school system two weeks in. Wearing her hair up in a ponytail and hands secured in her pockets, she seemed like a girl who could definitely handle herself.

Her brown eyes followed the boy's gaze back to him and they locked eyes for a moment before she was ushered to a seat across the room by the teacher who smiled a little too politely at the new student.

Smiling back, the girl thanked the teacher and took her seat, placing her backpack on the ground and taking out a notebook and a pencil.

The boy looked back at his teacher, who had resumed teaching, and focused himself on memorizing what the adult had to say about the subject of the class.

By the end of the class, the girl was already on speaking terms with one of the boy's closest friends, Bernard.

When the bell rang, the two were engrossed in a conversation about a common book they had read and something about a ship or two.

"Hey Ethan," the boy heard his friend call his name as he quietly followed them down the stairs and into the main hallway. "Bree is so awesome." He gestured to the new girl. "You know, me and her have the same ships!"

"Oh!" Ethan's face brightened up. "That's great," his voice was layered with a deep joy and happiness that his friend had found someone to be able to talk to.

"Hell yeah!" Bernard cheered, pumping his fist in the air and grinning brightly. "Anyways, I'm going to go to sports, I'll see you guys tomorrow." 

The boy ran off, leaving two students alone in the hallway, unsure of what to do.

"So," Bree let her voice trail off slightly as her hand clutched the strap of her backpack. "Ethan, right?"

Ethan nodded, letting out a small "yeah" in response.

"Great. I'm Bree." She held out her hand as a gesture. "Nice to meet you, Ethan."

Ethan smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Bree."

- - -

Slowly but surely, the two had grown to be good friends. They had exchanged numbers one day and found that texting was one of their favorite means of communication.

Br33 [Sent 17:29]
Heyy

Ethan [Sent 17:30]
Hi, what's up?

Br33 [Sent 17:30]
Just thinking about life, you know?

Ethan [Sent 17:32]
Yeah, I do that too sometimes. It's funny how it all kind of connects though. Like one big circle

Br33 [Sent 17:33]
The circle of life

Ethan [Sent 17:33]
You could say that

Br33 [Sent 17:34]
So, what have you been up to

Br33 [Sent 17:34]
?

Ethan [Sent 17:35]
I was doing homework

Br33 [Sent 17:36]
OH SHOOT! DID WE HAVE HW FOR ENGLISH????

Ethan [Sent 17:37]
You forgot AGAIN?

Br33 [Sent 17:37]
I got a selective memory, okay? what mr. Baldy tells me isn't seen as important in the depths of meh mind

Br33 [Sent 17:38]
Btw, what was the hw?

Ethan [Sent 17:39]
Pg 40 #8-15 
Answer in complete sentences this time

Br33 [Sent 17:40]
Pfft, I don't know what you're talking about

-

Br33 [Sent 17:56]
Whats #12??

Ethan [Sent 17:58]
The answer is in the first paragraph

Br33 [Sent 17:59]
Ohhhhhhhh thanks

Ethan [Sent 17:59]
Glad to help

-

Br33 [Sent 18:09]
Question, why do always do that

Ethan [Sent 18:10]
Do what?

Br33 [Sent 18:12]
You are always doing this thing where you are being so nice to people and is always helping people so much and you never stop. Like why? You kept pushing so much pressure on yourself for the sake of others

-

Ethan paused, glancing at the text he had received. He felt confused. Pressure? He was pressuring himself? How?

-

Br33 [Sent 18:15]
And it's not only that. You are consistently putting the wants (not even needs) of others ahead of yours. You think you're not worth it. That the happiness of others is enough for you. But, its not. I mean, I can't say much since I've only been at this school for a while and don't know the people as well as you do but this isn't healthy!

Br33 [Sent 18:19]
Omg Ethan?? Did i scare you??

Br33 [Sent 18:20]
Sorry, man. I just had to get that off my chest

Br33 [Sent 18:22]
You know, if you ever want someone to talk to or rant to I'm here right? I'll be there for you.

-

Ethan didn't know it until he felt something wet on his cheeks. Touching it softly confirmed it's identity. Tears. He was crying.

He clutched his phone tightly, bringing it close to his chest and let out his tears.

He didn't know he was like this. 

He thought happiness was making other people happy.

Bree understood him in a way he didn't understand himself.

And this time, this time, he felt truly happy.

"Thank you." He muttered quietly. "Thank you so much."

- - -

Even the smallest words matter. Remember that just one word, one sentence, could make or break someone's day.

Don't be a stranger but don't be a bully. Be a friend that can be relied and surround yourself with people you can rely on.

Don't self sacrifice. Don't sacrifice your happiness for the happiness of other.

You matter.

Dedicated to DarkPurpleRaven , TaroCat , immortal_seapig , AlwaysSmileMore , Nami-Chan_chan , YogurtNeko , AnimeStoleMyLife and everyone else in the world.

-EpicMelody